What can you do with Latin American Studies?

Careers in Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program, featuring major and minor options. In an increasingly interconnected world, ideas of confining national boundaries, static cultures, and single-language sufficiency are being transcended. With that in mind, Vanderbilt’s Center for Latin American Studies’ goal is to equip its students with tools that will help them work across both disciplinary and geopolitical borders. CLAS strives to provide solid foundations in the history, politics, culture, additional languages, and economics. When considering your academic track, remember that potential employers may be just as focused on an individual’s versatility of skills and types of achievement as any other measure of education.

Our alumni have a strong track record on the job market and find work in many different fields. The majority of our BA students (21.4%) go on to jobs in the private sector and an equally high number go on to further graduate study (21.4%). Nearly 11% take jobs with the federal government and the remainder go on to become teachers, work for NGOs, or find employment abroad.
Our MA students are also extremely successful on the job market, with 18% going into Higher Education, 10% going to work for NGOs, 12% moving on to the private sector, 14% going on to Military careers, and the remainder going into K-12 education, government work, or going on to complete their PhD’s.